Video: Mo’Nique Challenges Lee Daniels, Reads Email Offers For The Role of Cookie on ‘Empire’ Live on Air

Things have been pretty quiet with actress Mo’Nique the past few weeks but that all changed this morning. The Oscar award winner is kicking off promo this week for her new movie ‘Blackbird‘ which we previously told you about HERE. Not only did she kick it off but she kicked off with a bang, and a few shots.

During an appearance at ‘Sway In The Morning’ the actress attempted to put her former friend Lee Daniels on front street over some comments made regarding her. Mo’Nique previously revealed that she was offered the role of Cookie Lyon on ‘Empire’ by her friend Lee, yet when she declared this, one of the show’s Executive Producers Danny Strong shot down her claims.

Well Mo’Nique brought the emails to her interview with Sway. Via The Root:

“You know when I heard Danny Strong had come on the show and was adamant about Mo’Nique was never offered that role and he’d gone on other places and said it. And I tweeted that brother and said, ‘Will you speak as loudly when you understand that you’re telling something that’s not correct?’” Mo’Nique stated on the radio show.

Mo’nique cleared the air and said bringing proof that she was offered the role isn’t about animosity, because she has a lot of respect for Daniels and Strong, but that it’s only about principle.

Here’s one of the emails read by Sway:

Feb. 18, 2014

Good Afternoon,

Lee Daniels had a conversation with Mo’Nique about his new television pilot for Imagine Tv/Fox called “Empire.” We would like to screen test her for the role of ‘Cookie.’ Please contact us with her television quotes, so that we can start a test, option, deal. We are tentatively looking at Monday, Feb 24 for the screen test.

And another one:

Feb. 18, 2014

Hello I am following up on my previous e-mail regarding Lee Daniels’ pilot and Mo’Nique’s television quotes. This is a time sensitive matter. Lee really does not want Mo’Nique to miss this opportunity.

The confusion comes in on behalf of Daniels, who apparently didn’t realize he could just offer someone a role without getting approval from network executives first, because on March 3, according to an email, the deal fell through:

March 3, 2014

Unfortunately it’s not going any further for Mo’Nique. Lee fought for her because he thought she would be great for the pilot but studio and network executives insisted on offering the role to Taraji. Thank you so much for providing us with her information. Sorry it didn’t work out. We’re all big fans of hers.